Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has announced today that the Committee on Public Enterprises or the COPE Committee will not be reconvened until the problems related to its chairman are resolved.
The speaker has issued this announcement after the opposition MPs demanded that the chairman of the COPE committee, Professor Ranjith Bandara, be removed from that position.
“The issue related to Professor Ranjith Bandara should be resolved by the COPE committee members as per the standing orders,” the speaker said.
The Speaker announced that the COPE Committee meeting that was scheduled to be held today at 1:00 PM was cancelled.
Earlier, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that a report submitted by the Sri Lanka Audit Services Association has revealed that the COPE Committee Chairman has neglected his duty by refraining from issuing recommendations.
National People’s Power (NPP) Member of Parliament Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake also requested the Speaker to remove Professor Ranjith Bandara from the chairmanship.
He said that Professor Ranjith Bandara should be removed at least in the investigation of Sri Lankan cricket.